Journal #6

Did you belong to girl scouts as a child.  Tell about your experiences. 
Well I know that I am probably supposed to write about a bunch of life lessons/life skills that I learned as a child from Girl Scouts.  Well actually I was never a scout-but I was in Brownies once.  Unfortunately this is not going to be one of those kind of posts. 
Lets see what I remember.  Randomly my mom asked me as a kid if I wanted to join Brownies.  It was going to be in North Battleford but there were 3 other girls from Rabbit Lake that would be doing it so we would go together.  There was Jennifer (my neighbor), Tenille (a friend) and Darcy (a friend).  All of our moms would take turns driving us into town for Brownies once a week.  I think that pretty much all I learned was that I absolutely hated driving into town with other people's moms.  I hated riding in the back seat of Jennifer's dad's Bronco while he smoked in the front seat especially.  And I learned a super annoying song, "Um Um went the little green frog" which is now Allie's favorite.  That is all I remember.  Okay so I guess there are a couple of life lessons tucked in there with the trauma.

What has been the most significant world event that has taken place during your lifetime.
This would have to be 9-11.  I remember it very clear.  I was at BYU.  I had taken Ashlee to her flute lesson and was on my way back to our apartment.  It came on the radio.  It was like a dream-I remember thinking "this can't really be happening."  But it was real.  I became terrified.  I was alone in college, my family was in Canada.  I didn't know who would keep me safe if something were to happen, how would I get to my family, would I even be able to cross the border?  I felt a lot of panic.  Ashlee kept on telling me it would be okay-but I was very worried.  I remember hearing that President Hinkley was going to be doing a broadcast the next night on the situation.  I just wanted to know what He would say.  I knew that whatever the Prophet felt about the situation is what I needed to feel too.  President Hinkley was so calm and expressed no fear or concern.  He told us to keep living the gospel and trusting in God.  I took his words to heart and felt such peace in them.  I remember that I was in attendance at the General Conference following 9-11.  I was at the conference center.  We managed to get seats quite close to the front.  President Hinkley got up at the end of the session and announced that he had just heard that troops were being deployed overseas.  There were some gasps in the crowd and the choir sang (I don't remember what they sang) with tears running down many faces.

Let's Go Fly a Kite

One of the gifts I gave Allie for Valentines Day was a kite I found at DI for $1.50.  She was so excited.  I told her we could not go fly it until the windmill next door was spinning.  She stood at the window and watched it for 10 mins.  "Mama, it's not spinning yet."  "Mama, it's not spinning yet."  Finally I convinced her to go and play.  A little while later she saw it move around once and she said, "It moved, now can we fly the kite?"  Well we didn't that day but on Tuesday the 22nd the wind was perfect for kites so we went out and gave it a try.  It was really cold actually but Allie loved seeing the kite go.

 Then while Dad and I flew the kite she danced a "flying kites" dance.

 And Brailie pretty much wandered around and tripped over lumps and bumps and pointed to the kite once in a while.  She loves being outside.

Valentines Day

Here are some picture highlights from Valentines day.

Allie got a Fancy Nancy book

These cute pants that I found at DI.  They had hearts all over them-perfect for the day.

This Strawberry Shortcake water bottle.  It pretty much was a huge hit.  I love it when that happens.

Here is Brai looking at her loot.

After it was all unpacked.

 Greg had gotten up early that morning and made me a candlelight breakfast of all my favs: fried eggs, bacon, toast and jam and cheese.  We ate almost all of it alone until Allie woke up.  She saw the candles and thought they were so cool.  She asked if I would lite a candle for every meal she ate after (for 2 days).  Here is the girls at breakfast.

I love this picture.

It's a Miracle

After the basketball tournament was over we all went to Greg's parents new house in Monroe (have I mentioned how much we love the new house-so much room and I covet the kitchen).  Let me just explain what it is usually like when the whole Parsons clan gets together:

-kids running around and screaming and laughing and crying
-adults screaming over the children to hear each other
-and sports-lots and lots of watching sports (especially golf-SNORE).
-the men usually watch sports, the women sometimes do crafts and mostly watch the children
-oh and surfing the internet-someone is always surfing the web

It pretty much has been that way since I married into the family.  I am getting used to tuning out some kind of sports program.  But (and this is a BIG BUT) this time a miracle occurred.  It came in the form of Just Dance 2 for Kids to play on the Wii (don't worry those of you who don't know what that means).  It is a game that you play that is on the TV and shows kids dancing to different songs and you have to try and copy their moves (that is the readers digest version).  Well Grandma bought it for Kylie (9) to try to see if she wanted it for her birthday.  That got all the kids up dancing.  But the real miracle is that prior to this the men were watching the All-Star Basketball game and they turned it off so the kids could dance.  After the kids danced a couple of songs all the moms took a turn, but only because the men promised they would if we did.  And yep-I have videos to prove it.  (please excuse my laughing in the background but this was hilarious).  

Untitled from Heather Parsons on Vimeo.

Untitled from Heather Parsons on Vimeo.
And they even had fun.  Greg danced for like 5 different songs.  Ryan danced more on his own too.  I have never seen anything like this in my 4 years of marriage.  We all had a blast.  It was the best time we have had together yet-in my opinion.
Here is Allie dancing.  She of course was only in her panties by the end of the night (I don't know who she gets that from :))

Untitled from Heather Parsons on Vimeo.
And here are a few more pics.

This is when we convinced Grandma to join in.

I love how in this picture they are all doing something different though they are all supposed to be doing the same moves.

No-Grandpa Stan is not an invalid-we convinced him to try too-only he just danced in his chair (and I think he had fun too).

All I have to say is this has got to become a Parsons tradition because it was so fun.  Lets make more traditions-what do you say Parsons?

L-E-T-S-G-O

I took these videos of the girls before we left for the state tournament.  Allie is a really good cheerleader!!

Girls State Basketball in Review

It has come to an end-I can't believe it.  I still feel like it might be a dream.  I am no longer a basketball widow.  And, probably much to the shock of my husband and family-I am going to miss it a bit.  The girls on the varsity team were so outstanding this year.  They have really restored my faith in the American Teenager that is for sure. 

Well here are the highlights from the tournament (yep and not an actual picture of any basketball stuff-who had time when I was chasing my two munchins around).  Greg's team took 6th.  They could have gone all the way and deserved too but a terrible injury to one player 45seconds into the first game really hurt them.  Still they played so well and won on the last day which is a first for Greg's team.  We are very proud of them.  And now to the other important stuff: what did my girls wear?  I made them these outfits:

I found this shirt at DI and just added the words on the back.

This is pretty much how Allie spent all 4 days at the tournament-cleaning the floor with her own clothing.  She spent most of the time rolling on the floor and walking around barefoot.  I didn't even worry about it-it was not worth my energy to try and make her do differently.

I think Brailie was in a daze the entire time.  Poor thing was so sleep deprived and exhausted.  She did great though.

 Here are a couple of other highlights:
-Allie fell out of the hotel bed twice on the first night.  She has never done that before.  The first time was during a power outage.  I was in the bathroom and heard the thud and the screaming and told Greg he had to get her because I couldn't see to make my way back quickly.  He comforted her and eventually put her back to bed.  The second time the power had come back on so when I picked her up off the floor I noticed that there were two dark spots on her bed and so I took her to the bathroom by the light and saw that her whole mouth was covered in dry blood.  She had cut her lip open the first time but we didn't know because we couldn't see. 
-Brailie found her voice every night and entertained us with all sorts of mouth noises for at least an hour every time we put her to bed.
-Brailie found everything she could reach within minutes of us arriving in the hotel and had the phone buttons pressed, the tv on, the Kleenex box emptied and the buttons on the safe all pressed.  The phonebook was taken to unknown places and my purse was emptied.  It was really fun being in the hotel with a 16 month old.
-Allie pretty much disowned me as a mother and told me she would be going everywhere with the basketball team on the bus and I couldn't come.  She did decide I was cool when we went swimming.

 She even got brave and got out of her floaty ring and just played in the water without any floaties. 

I just think this picture of Brai is cute.

 Then the cousins came on Friday.  That was so fun for Allie.  She had a blast with them.  Here are some pictures I tried to take of them.  It was next to impossible to get one of them all holding still.  These are my favs.

 I love how they are all looking at Nathan in this picture.



Nathan, Rylee, Kinsey and Allie.



Polka Dancing

A little while ago while I was making some things on Smilebox I was browsing through their music selection and came across these songs.  I nearly burst into tears because these were the songs of my childhood and I can see my dad sitting with his accordion, shoulders and head swaying, foot tapping as he played these so we could dance.  If only I could go back in time I would ask Heavenly Father to let me sit in on a dance or two where he and my aunt used to play in their younger years.  I would be thrilled beyond belief just to hear him play in his prime.  I had to see what Allie would do when she heard the same sweet songs.  These are for you Dad and Auntie Helen and of course my mom who has always encouraged us to dance.

Jumping on the bed

I just want to clarify that I don't usually encourage her to jump in her bed but it was just so cute I wanted to get it on video so I kept asking her to do it.  Miss Allie could care less how I feel about jumping on the bed-it is not something I really lose sleep over.

Journal #5

What is the most adventurous thing you have ever done?  When I was a Freshman in college at BYU I took a outdoor recreation class (mostly because I was really good at trying to find fun classes rather than ones that required a lot of work).  One of the activities we had to do was to build and sleep in a snow cave over night.  Let me just tell you that this was both the most adventurous thing I have ever done and one of the worst things I have ever done and hope to never do again.  First we drove up in the mountains, then snow shoed into a canyon.  The boys and girls were separated and we had to build a huge mound of snow.  I was fresh off the farm and pretty much the only one who knew how to use a shovel so guess who got that job?  Next we had to hollow out the mound to make the cave.  I was fresh off the farm and pretty much the only one who knew how to use a shovel and had any strength and experience with snow so guess who got that job?  By the time the thing was hollowed out we were supposed to eat.  I was tired and wet and frozen.  I didn't have any proper snow gear at college with me and the things that I had borrowed just didn't cut it.  I didn't feel like eating my Dinty Moore Beef Stew (which I wasn't thrilled about eating prior to building and hollowing out a snow cave) so instead I changed into dry cloths, lit my 24 hour candle (which only last half the night p.s.) and tired to go to sleep.  Have you ever slept in a snow cave?  Ya well it is like an igloo I guess and I was terrified the whole night that it would collapse on me, plus I was laying on an angle because i choose the one spot I hadn't leveled quite well and I was worried my 24 hour candle may start my sleeping bag on fire (though it was soaked through so I don't think it was even possible).  We got up at the break of dawn.  I had some granola bars I had packed and was the first one up the hill to get back in the van and get the heck out of there.  Did I mention I did all this to impress a boy that I was in love with who was on a mission.  Ya, he never gave any indication that he thought it was cool.  At least it makes for a good story. 

Second runner up in the most adventurous things category is the blind date I went on with the man I have nick named "Slimbo Jimbo."  My friend Ashlee and her boss decided to set me up on a blind date with a guy named Jim.  He was a country guy and I was big into that type of guy when I was in college and just after.  I think this actually took place when I was living in Logan.  Anyway Ash told me that he was quite a bit older than me but her boss was married to a lady a lot younger than him and they were so happy and I was desperate and open minded so I said okay.  We talked on the phone (he sounded hickish).  We arranged to meet at Hogi Yogi and then go to my favorite place to country dance.  All the way there as I was driving I was thinking of the worst case scenario: He would be bald, have a handle bar mustache and a pot belly.  I was 3 for 3.  We went dancing; he asked how old I was.  I told him 24.  He said he was much older than me.  I guessed he was 40...nope 46 (YA-that is A LOT older than me).  Our age combined made us the oldest people at the dance that night.  He also let me know that he was in the process of getting a divorce (not divorced yet-just separated..."Great a still married, 46 year old with a handle bar mustache!!")  He said it had something to do with his wife leaving and taking his prized goat or pig and hiding it somewhere along with some other animals.  I think I ended the date with a high five.  He called the next day-I let it go to voice mail.  I never called back.

Happy Valentines Day

Another collage by Smilebox